The ONS will release its weekly bulletin every Tuesday at 9.30am, and will cover deaths involving COVID-19 for the week that ended 11 days prior – for example, data for the week ending 20 March have been released on 31 March.

Of the deaths registered in that week, 103 mentioned coronavirus (COVID-19), the ONS said on Tuesday.

The UK death toll from coronavirus has so far only included those who died in hospitals. (Getty Images)

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The figure of 210 deaths between 28 December and 20 March marks the first time the UK’s official total has comprised ONS figures, which include deaths in the community such as in care homes, since the outbreak began.

The 23% increase between the NHS statistics and the ONS figures indicates that current government figures do not depict a wholly accurate picture of the death toll.

The difference between the coronavirus death figures published by the ONS and those from NHS England and Public Health Wales is because of different methods of counting and reporting, the ONS explained.

The ONS death figures are based on the number of deaths registered in England and Wales where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate as "deaths involving COVID-19".

This number includes all deaths, not just those in hospitals, although there is usually a delay of at least five days between a death occurring and registration.

Meanwhile the figures published by NHS England and Public Health Wales are for deaths only among hospital patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, but include deaths that have not yet been registered.

The death toll released in the government's daily briefings has not been a fully accurate depiction of the impact of COVID-19. (PA Images via Getty Images)

The NHS statistics have been limited to people who tested positive for COVID-19, but the ONS figures will include cases such as those in care homes, where it is mentioned on death certificates as a suspected cause.

There have been concerns that, up to now, the official figures do not give a real-time snapshot of the number of deaths involving COVID-19 in the UK, nor is it an accurate reflection of exactly where the country is in the "curve" of the outbreak.

On Sunday, deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries said there is a “time lag” in the number of deaths tallied up as officials firm up the numbers and speak to families.

Asked about disparities in figures at a Downing Street press conference, Dr Harries said: “We have to make sure that when we’re reporting the family is content and knows and all our data is absolutely accurate.”

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She added: “There is always a time lag for us to check and evaluate that the data across the system is linked.

“We do not want to be misreporting data and then having to correct it. The public would not have confidence if we were doing that.

“As we have sadly had to register more deaths, that time period takes longer.”